Cooks (NOC 6322)

If you are interested in working as a Cook in Canada, you will be pleased to know that the job outlook for your occupation in Canada is extremely positive.

You can use this overview of the Canadian employment prospects in your field to start planning your immigration and settlement in Canada.

Why your employment prospects in Canada are excellent:

  • This is a large occupational group and there will be many job opportunities arising in the next few years.
  • Prospects are especially good for fast-food outlets, which are the largest source of employment for Cooks in Canada.
  • Many cooks are expected to show artistic ability in food displays and participate in competitions. Continuous learning will thus be essential to cooks as they hone these skills through attending specialty seminars and learning from peers and experts.
  • According to the Canadian Federation of Chefs and Cooks, the best trained chefs and cooks are in very high demand.

Some areas in Canada where your occupation is in demand:

Vancouver Island and Victoria, British Columbia:

  • Employment prospects are very good in this area.
  • Individuals who are artistically creative are in very high demand.

Manitoba:

  • Employment prospects for cooks are expected to be good in the period over the next five years.
  • Employment is fairly evenly distributed across the province. Cooks are mainly employed in the Accommodation and Food Services sector and the Health Care and Social Assistance sector.

Saskatoon and Rural West, Saskatchewan:

  • There is a high demand for professionally trained cooks and foreign specialty food cooks in this area.

Prince Edward Island:

  • There is a shortage of trained cooks in Prince Edward Island.
  • Shortages are particularly high in the tourist area of Cavendish during the summer months.
  • The long range employment outlook for cooks in Prince Edward Island is expected to be good.
  • Employment is seasonal for many cooks in Prince Edward Island. The number of cooks employed is much higher in the summer months.
  • Previous experience in the food industry is preferred by employers. However, due to the severe shortages, some employers are willing to provide on-the-job training.
  • For example, the demand for line cooks is so great that some employers have partnered with the Tourism Industry Association of PEI to develop a line cook training course. This is a 12-week program where students are guaranteed a job upon completion.

New Brunswick:

  • The majority of cooks in New Brunswick work in the Accommodation and Food Service Industry.
  • Prospects are particularly good in the following New Brunswick areas: Saint John-Sussex-St. Stephen, Moncton-Shediac-Sackville-Richibucto, and Campbellton-Bathurst-Caraquet-Miramichi.

Muskoka Region, Ontario:

  • Local employment prospects are good for cooks, because this area is very touristic and there are plenty of resorts.
  • Demand for this occupation is at its highest during the summer months in resort communities such as the Muskoka District, Wasaga Beach and the Bruce Peninsula.
  • Resort communities such as the Town of Collingwood and The Town of the Blue Mountains would offer good employment opportunities in both the summer and winter months.

Niagara Area, Ontario:

  • Employment opportunities for cooks in the Niagara Area are very good.
  • Demand for this occupation remains high with an abundance of advertised vacancies. This is due in part to new establishments in this very touristic region.

Waterloo, Huron, Perth, Wellington, Dufferin, Ontario:

  • Local employment prospects are expected to be good for cooks.
  • Job vacancies in resort areas tend to fluctuate according to seasonal factors related to the local tourist industry.
  • Demand for this occupation would be at its highest during the summer months such as in the resort communities along Lake Huron.

Duties for Cooks

Cooks prepare and cook a wide variety of foods. They are employed in restaurants, hotels, hospitals and other health care institutions, central food commissaries, educational institutions and other establishments. Cooks are also employed aboard ships and at construction and logging campsites. Apprentice cooks are included.

Description of Main Duties:

Cooks perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Prepare and cook complete meals or individual dishes and foods
  • Prepare and cook special meals for patients as instructed by dietitian or chef
  • Schedule and supervise kitchen helpers
  • Oversee kitchen operations
  • Maintain inventory and records of food, supplies and equipment
  • May set up and oversee buffets
  • May clean kitchen and work area
  • May plan menus, determine size of food portions, estimate food requirements and costs, and monitor and order supplies
  • May hire and train kitchen staff
  • Cooks may specialize in preparing and cooking ethnic cuisine or special dishes

Example job titles for Cooks:

  • apprentice cook
  • assistant cook
  • banquet cook
  • breakfast cook
  • broiler cook
  • cafeteria cook
  • camp cook
  • caterer cook
  • construction camp cook
  • cook
  • cook, apprentice
  • cook, camp
  • cook, domestic
  • cook, ethnic foods
  • cook, first
  • cook, fishing and merchant vessel
  • cook, institution
  • cook, kosher foods
  • cook, second
  • cook, small establishment
  • cook, third
  • diet kitchen cook
  • dietary cook
  • domestic cook
  • ethnic food cook
  • first cook
  • grill cook
  • hospital cook
  • institutional cook
  • journeyman/woman cook
  • kosher foods cook
  • licensed cook
  • line cook
  • logging camp cook
  • mess cook
  • pastry cook
  • pizza cook
  • railway cook
  • restaurant cook
  • second cook
  • ship's cook
  • short order cook
  • special diet cook
  • special orders cook, hospital
  • therapeutic diet cook
  • third cook

Find out about salary ranges for Cooks in different Canadian cities with our Canada Salary Calculator.

You can start looking for a job in Canada by using our Canada Job Search Tool.